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Fanotec is proud to release 9 new Arca style precision camera plates dedicated for panoramic photographers. These plates are a coherent part of the Ultimate Modular Series. They are designed to meet the following stringent requirements.

Strong Anti-twisting Supporting use for Heavy Cameras and Lenses
Cameras are normally mounted in portrait orientation on a panoramic tripod head (pano head). The weight of a big lens and camera can generate large twisting forces which is difficult to overcome by friction alone. Fanotec camera plates (except the universal ones) all have an anti-twisting pin or flange built in to support heavier lenses and cameras.

Precision and Reproducible Mounting of a Camera on a Pano Head
To get parallax free stitching, the entrance pupil of a lens must be positioned at the rotation axis/axes of a pano head. To avoid the need of recalibration each time after the plate is removed and reinstalled, there must be some mechanism to remember the position of the plate on the camera. These new plates utilize an anti-twisting pin/flange (or ruler scale as in case of the universal plates) to fulfill this purpose.

Compatible with Many Cameras
While the above features are also available in plates from other manufacturers, they are usually custom made for a specific camera requiring users to buy a new plate for a different camera. Fanotec plates (in general) are designed to work with many cameras by carefully analyzing a large range of cameras available in the market. They are contoured to match the shape of targeted cameras while maintaining their ergonomics. One of the biggest advantages of Fanotec camera specific plates is that they will also work for many other cameras of similar base design. (See camera plate item description in the store for list of mutually acceptable cameras).

Automatic Alignment in Quick Release Clamps
Most Arca style plates are designed to slide back and forth inside the adjoining quick release (QR) clamp. This means the user must position the tripod socket (camera base mount) by carefully nudging the camera until properly aligned. Fanotec plates however are designed to align automatically with the safety pin in the Fanotec Quick Release Clamps (QRC). Markings for the tripod socket position are also included to work with QRCs from other manufacturers.

Safety Mechanisms
Fanotec QR clamps have a safety pin to keep the camera plate from sliding out of the clamp should it not be properly tightened. This is extremely important when a camera is mounted in portrait orientation on a pano head. New Fanotec plates even have extra sockets for installing safety stop screws to work with clamps from other manufacturers.

Camera Plates

My thanks aslo, Nick. Especially glad to see the "repositioning" features that has been an irritation with my NN5 - just bought the M1-L and look forward to getting the plate for the D3; beleive I saw your note that you had received a scan of it - any idea when it will be available?
Bob

My thanks aslo, Nick. Especially glad to see the "repositioning" features that has been an irritation with my NN5 - just bought the M1-L and look forward to getting the plate for the D3; beleive I saw your note that you had received a scan of it - any idea when it will be available?
Bob

My thanks aslo, Nick. Especially glad to see the "repositioning" features that has been an irritation with my NN5 - just bought the M1-L and look forward to getting the plate for the D3; beleive I saw your note that you had received a scan of it - any idea when it will be available?
Bob

in the meantime you can use the U1G plate, it fits nicely on D3/D3S/D3X, and it won't twist :)

All the new camera plates are "arca style" plates. So all of them should fit into ASQRS2. As far as I know, the new plates are designed to click into place being centered to tripod mount socket by using the brass pin of the new QRClamps of M1 System.

Using the ASQRS2 plate - the old system - the new plates will not be automatically centered to the tripod mount socket of the camera by "click". You have to center the white marks on camera plate and on the ASQRS2 manually.

All the new camera plates are "arca style" plates. So all of them should fit into ASQRS2. As far as I know, the new plates are designed to click into place being centered to tripod mount socket by using the brass pin of the new QRClamps of M1 System.

Using the ASQRS2 plate - the old system - the new plates will not be automatically centered to the tripod mount socket of the camera by "click". You have to center the white marks on camera plate and on the ASQRS2 manually.

Heinz

Ah i c, I didn't realize that the M1 System QR Clamps has the 'click' mechanism to center the tripod mount.

I "add-on" one of Nick's pics changed to demonstrate it. This System is a great help to "Reproduce Position for Dummies", a seri of books - for Dummies- in europe to explain how to get to the point easily . What means, you just click in and you are centered to tripod mount camera screw position. Precise, every time you click in. This is the secret behind this System added to all Quick Release Clamps and new camera plates of the M1 System.

Because this "Click System" is added to all Quick Release Clamps of the M1-System, we might expect an add-on to the M1 rails to "Click into NPP" for different Camera Lens Combinations to get automatic reproducible click alignment to get close to "low manual CP-placement" in software like PTGuiPro. Serves Batch Stitching Panos. "Pano to Go", because of great design of the hardware and great service of the "Big Two" Nick and Bill and everybody who is working behind the curtain, you just have to go out and shoot, not thinking about settings.